Jordan- The Eye of the Storm

Established as a sovereign nation in 1946, Jordan is a relatively new country, and the same royal family has been in power for the entire stretch of its brief history. The death of long-time monarch, King Hussein in 1999 brought about a new era for Jordan. Hussein’s son, King Abdullah is now the reigning leader,

A Brief History of the Syrian Pound

The Syrian pound is a relatively new currency in the foreign market.  As the country of Syria was ruled by other countries for much of its history, its currency has reflected its rulers.  During the time of the Ottoman Empire, Syria used the Ottoman lira. With the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the rule

The Recent History of Democracy in Iraq

Iraq is a country that has struggled under hard-fisted dictators and blood thirsty monarchs for hundreds of years. Attempts at establishing democracy in the past have been quickly derailed by corrupt politics. The presence of the U.S. in Iraq has brought some changes in government, and the country’s first real attempt at establishing a democracy.

A Brief History of the Japanese Yen


A Brief History of the Turkish Lira

In the world of currency, the Turkish lira is a fairly new addition.  While the use of currency has a long stronghold in that area of the world (the first golden coin was minted there in 1467), the lira itself was not introduced until 1844.  This gold coin was known as the Ottoman Lira as